The church of Laodicea
Church 7
Review 6 prior churches
1. Ephesus-repent and do the first works-get back to how it was
2. Smyrna- Fear none of those things which you shall suffer.
3. Pergamos-come out form among them and be ye separate
4. Thyatira-Stay away from false doctrines
5. Sardis-Come alive, speak the power of life
6. Philadelphia-I’ve given you an open door, now come on in. Gods favor is grace
Rev. 3:14-22 Pray
These things say the amen-the truth, the faithful and true witness, and beginning of the creation of God.
He is true and in him is no lie, He is light, and in him is no darkness. Jn. 1:1-15
15. I know thy works-just as to every other letter to the churches, he knows your works. I know that you are neither cold or hot. The word hot here means in the greek to be boiling, to be on fire. It is the same word as the fervent effectual prayers of a righteous man avail much. The boiling hot, the ones that have some heat behind them.
The reference to the cold or hot relate to the springs that were nearby. On one end of the city were the boiling hot springs of Hierapolis, and the cold springs of nearby Colasse. Jesus says to them, you are neither here nor there.
You are perhaps to in the church to enjoy the world, but you are too in the world to enjoy the church. You are not quite one thing, but yet not quite another.
v.16. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Because you cant make up your mind if you are in or out, I will spue, literally vomit you out of my mouth. God is saying You make me sick. Here you are on Sunday trying to be holier than thou, but on Monday you act and talk like that you do not even know me.
There is so much danger in being in between. If you can not make up your mind what type of person that you are, you will try to be someone else. If you are not rooted and grounded into what God has called you to be, you can be driven by anything. And this is what was happening at the church of Laodicea. (Ps. 1:1-5)
James tells us that a double minded man is unstable in all of his ways, let not that man think that he should receive any thing from the lord. If you are believing God for one thing, and confess, another, then you are double minded. The word of God says, that he is unstable in all of his ways, and don’t even think that you are going to get anything from me.
Mt. 12:25 A house that is divided against itself can not stand. You either is or you ain’t
If you are claiming to be one thing in front of people, and being another thing in private, then you are divided against your self, and you can not stand. You may last for a season, or for a short time, but when the winds start blowing, and the snow starts falling on you, your roof will start leaking, and before you know it the entire house caves in.
Foundation=roots
The word of God also tells us that a man that puts his hand to the plough and looks back, is not fit for the kingdom of God. That means the man who sits around thinking about the good old days all of the time. Talking about how much fun it used to be. Knowing that if god had not pulled you out when he did that you would already be dead and gone.
When you are lukewarm what happens is that you are brought in within reach of the Holy Fire, without being heated into a fervor. It gives you enough religion to have a false sense of security, but not enough to save the soul.
Halfheartedness is the demise of the Christian of today. God has called us up to be full time soldiers, not weekend warriors for his kingdom.
1 Cor. 9:24-27 know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run that ye may obtain. 25 and every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. 26. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly, so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Paul said I am not coming here to play games, but to give all that I have. He said carnal people are striving for carnal things, and they are doing it for the glory of something that is just going to turn back to dust, but we are training up for a crown that is incorruptible. We are training for a crown of eternal life.
Phil. 3:13-14 Bretheren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
All of these people playing games with God, I’ve got news for you, God will win every time. Jesus said you make me sick. Quit playing around and give it up.
If you can give it up, you can have it all.
17. Because you say I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing. And knowest not that you are miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked…
You think that because you have a little bit of material success, that you do not need anything. Do not make the mistake of thinking because you are making a little money that you do not still need God.
Jesus said you have allowed fleshly satisfaction to be equal with spiritual fulfillment. If you are looking for material things to fill the void of Godlessness in your life you will never find it.
Material success can never bring true happiness. Joy comes from God and God alone. You can not buy it, it is fruit of the spirit that develops when you are rooted and grounded in Jesus. Peter said it is joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Jesus said you are so wrapped up in the things of the flesh that you do not even realize that you are wretched and miserable, and poor and blind, and naked.
You can have all of the money in the world and still be poor. The word that Jesus used here meant poor, a begger and worthless.
He said that they do not even realize that they are blind-the materialism has blinded you.
Naked- Uncovered, open to any type of attack from any direction.
18. I advise you to buy of me, gold tried in the fire, that thou may be rich-1pet. 1:7 that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, thou it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
Gold tried in the fire represents true and unadulterated faith. Faith in Jesus Christ. The only true riches come from him alone. The incorruptible crown that Paul was speaking of, was eternal life. The only way that you will ever be truly successful in this life is with the true riches of eternal life.
Buy white raiment that thou might be clothed, and the shame of thy nakedness do not appear. White raiment is representative of the righteousness of God. The bible says that our righteousness is as filthy rags in the sight of God. Right standing
18 cont. and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that you may see. The eye salve here represents enlightenment by the holy spirit and by the word of God. The word of God is life giving. David said thy word o Lord is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. The psalmist wrote that the word of God is quickening. Until the word of God is revealed unto you, you have no life.
19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Job 5:17 Happy is the man who God reproves, so do not despise the discipline of the almighty.
Prov. 3:11 My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord or loathe his reproof, for who the Lord loves, he reproves, even as the father loves the son in who he delights.
The word of God tells us that the man who spares the rod, hates his child. God only convicts, and reproves those who he loves. It is a great thing to be reproved by the Lord.
There are many great examples in the word of God of men being corrected by God, but perhaps one of the greatest examples that we have is David. God sent the prophet Nathan to point his finger in his face and say, you are that man.
20. behold I stand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Jesus is knocking at your heart tonight, won’t you let him in? He said if you will, I will come in and sup with you. I will fellowship with you. God wants you to want him more than anything else. He wants relationship with you.
21. to him that overcomes, will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my father in his throne. 22 he that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches.
The order of the promises in the seven epistles corresponds to that of the unfolding of the kingdom of God its first beginnings on earth to its consummation in heaven. To the faithful at Ephesus: (1) The tree of life in the Paradise of God is promised (Rev 2:7), answering to Ge 2:9. (2) Sin entered the world and death by sin; but to the faithful at Smyrna it is promised, they shall not be hurt by the second death (Rev 2:11). (3) The promise of the hidden manna (Rev 2:17) to Pergamos brings us to the Mosaic period, the Church in the wilderness. (4) That to Thyatira, namely, triumph over the nations (Rev 2:26, 27), forms the consummation of the kingdom in prophetic type, the period of David and Solomon characterized by this power of the nations. Here there is a division, the seven falling into two groups, four and three, as often, for example, the Lord’s Prayer, three and four. The scenery of the last three passes from earth to heaven, the Church contemplated as triumphant, with its steps from glory to glory. (5) Christ promises to the believer of Sardis not to blot his name out of the book of life but to confess him before His Father and the angels at the judgment-day, and clothe him with a glorified body of dazzling whiteness (Rev 3:4, 5). (6) To the faithful at Philadelphia Christ promises they shall be citizens of the new Jerusalem, fixed as immovable pillars there, where city and temple are one (Rev 3:12); here not only individual salvation is promised to the believer, as in the case of Sardis, but also privileges in the blessed communion of the Church triumphant. (7) Lastly, to the faithful of Laodicea is given the crowning promise, not only the two former blessings, but a seat with Christ on His throne, even as He has sat with His Father on His Father’s throne (Rev 3:21).
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